Shoe attachment



'June 1U, 1930. A, SOTHEN 1,763,543

' SHOE ATTACHMENT l Filed Dec. 17, 1927 @gli 5 d /1 al INVENTOR ATTO R N EY Patented June v1U, 1930 PATENT OFFICE ALBERT L. SOTHEN, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS SHOE ATTACHMENT Application led December 17, 1927. Serial No. 240,893.

This invention relates to certain novel improvements in shoe attachments and is particularly adapted to a construction which provides a rigid sole for the shoes of dancers and the like. y

The salient object of my invention is to provide a stiffening member for the sole portion of a dancers shoe which will act to strengthen the shoe so as to prevent bending of the sole portion thereof and which will therefore reduce the fatigue of tap dancers and the like.

Another object of the invention is to provide a rigid sole for dancers shoes preferably composed of metal such that when a tap dance is being performed a distinct sound will be provided as the dancers feet touch the floor.

A further object of the invention is to provide a st-ilfening member for shoe soles which will be mounted thereon in such a manner that the pulling of the securing elements the extraordinary stresses placed thereon will be obviated. I

A still further obj ect of the invention is to provide a device of the foregoing character which will be economical in construction and which will be formed so as to be light in weight.

Other objects will appear hereinafter.

The invention consists in the novel combination and arrangement of parts to be hereinafter described and claimed.

The invention will be best understood by '35 reference to the accompanying drawings,`

showing the preferred form of construction and in which;

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of a shoe to which my improved stiifening member has 40 been attached;

Fig. 2 is the plan view of a preferred form of construction for my limproved stiifening member;

Fig. 3 is a partially longitudinal sectional view of my improved stiffening member attached to a dancers shoe; and

Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken on the line 4.-4 on Fig. 2.

In the drawings wherein I have illust-rated i9 a preferred form of construction. for my inA vention it may be seen that I provide a rigid i body member 10 preferably composed of metal which is shaped so as to correspond to the sole portion of a shoe; that is, the toe portion thereof is formed as indicated at 11 and the side portions thereof are formed so as to be substantially similar to the side edges of the sole of a dancers shoe. As is best illustrated in Fig. 2 the center portion of the body 10 is cut away as at 12 so as to re- 1 duce the weight thereof and also to reduce friction. A plurality of openings 13 are provided in the body 10 which are preferably arranged in the manner shown in Fig. 2.

As is best illustrated in Fig. 1 the body 1() is secured to sole 14 of a dancers shoe 15 by inserting suitable securing elements such as the screws 16 or tacks through the openings 13 and into the sole 14 of the shoe. The body 10 is of such a length that it terminates forwardly of the instep portion of the shoe so that the shoe may bebent without interfering with the stiffening member 10. This `shoe sole laat the point where wear and friction will be greatest especially during the execution of certain dance steps such as, for example, wing steps and thus the life of the stiffening member will be prolonged. Since the body member 10 ends at a point disposed forwardly of the bending portion of the shoe sole, it is apparent that the strain impressed upon the securing elements 16 will be reduced toa minimum and thus undesired displace ment of the stiffening member will be prevented. i

As is best illustrated in Fig. 4 the transverse shape of the body member 10 is convex so as to correspond to the configuration of an unused shoe sole. Therefore the stiifening lmember 10 will tend to retain the shoe in its original shape,that is so as to be convex transversely as well as convex longitudinally as indicated in Fgf. =.Therefcre -thejhighest point in the shoe sole Will be at substantially the mid portionthereof at which point the opening l2 is disposed and thus friction Will be reduced at this point. It is apparent that this double convex formation and the open ing Will reduce friction when steps such as so called right and left Wing stepsare executed at which time the action will center on either the right or left edge of the sole and the body member l0. n

The foregoing constructionprovides' a 'stiffening member for shoe soles which will be particularly advantageous for dancers and especially for so called ta-p dancers, for inasmuch as the body 10 is composed of metal, it

M-isjapparent that as the dancers feet strike, "fa distinct'sound Will be producedfwhich Will `be conducive to'a pleasing effect. To augment this condition I also provide a body QO'fWhich vmay be secured'to the heels of the shoes. The yinner edge vof the'body 20, disposed toward the instep portion ofthe shoe, is formed sub- "Iclaim 'as new' and 'desireto stantially similar `to -rtheinner edge ofthe i-bodylO so as'to produce outstanding lugs-or ears Whichwill serve in a manner substan- 18 and'19. VThe heel coveringbody members ALBERT L. SOTHEN.

20 are convex 'transversely but the longitudi- Y nal curvature is'notrequired.

It is apparent from the foregoing descripit'ion that A-I have provided an advantageous 4'constrnction'for dancers 'shoes Which will act nto 'stiften the sole portions' thereof'and which 'will also add 1Vlife to the sole portions and will *act similarly when' 'attached to the: heel por- "tions, The construction as described provides Aadditional material at `thelpoints of greatest lWear so Eas to .prolong the life of my improved device. Further, the `device `as described Will :permit bending ofthe dancers foot at the ball portion thereof. As stated, the' device'is somounted `that such bending will not 'dislplace the-bodylO'from the sole portion of the shoe.

While {ameri-unarmed and described the cations as come Within the scope of thel appended claim.

Havingthus described my invention, what protect by Letters Patent is: y 1 g In combination Witha shoe sole, a metallic Istiffeningv member 'having `openings therein,

securing'means inserted throughsaid open- A:ings-for fastening said memberI tothe sole,

said member having `a formation substantial- "ly similartothe sole and having the inner "transverse endfthereof disposed forwardly of iso 

